Image forming apparatus

Abstract

Cleaning liquid stored in a first storage tank is absorbed by a sponge via a passage formed in a tube and a holder, and then applied onto a conveyance belt when the sponge comes into contact with the conveyance belt. Here, even when air bubbles enter into the cleaning liquid supplied to the sponge, the air bubbles are discharged to the outside through an air discharging hole formed in the holder.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a recording head having a nozzle surface provided with nozzles for ejecting ink; 
 an endless conveyance belt for circulating around in order to convey a recording medium to a position that opposes the nozzle surface of said recording head; 
 an absorber capable of coming into contact with said conveyance belt and absorbing cleaning liquid to be applied onto said conveyance belt; 
 a first storing unit for storing cleaning liquid to be supplied to said absorber; and 
 a passage forming member connected to said absorber and said first storing unit, forming a passage for supplying, to said absorber, cleaning liquid stored in said first storing unit, and having an air discharging hole for discharging, to the outside, air bubbles contained in said cleaning liquid, wherein said passage forming member comprises:
 a first passage forming member connected to said first storing unit and forming a first passage in which the cleaning liquid stored in said first storing unit flows; and 
 a second passage forming member connected to the first passage forming member and said absorber, and forming a second passage for supplying, to said absorber, the cleaning liquid having flowed in from said first passage, and wherein said air discharging hole is formed in said second passage forming member, and said second passage forming member has an opening formed in a part thereof and an internal space that leads to the opening, wherein said absorber is retained so as to occupy a part of the internal space in a manner exposed through said opening. 
 
 
   
   
     2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said absorber is composed of a porous body capable of absorbing said cleaning liquid, and wherein said air discharging hole has a size allowing the cleaning liquid to form a meniscus and is larger than a pore size of said absorber. 
   
   
     3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said air discharging hole is smaller than a passage diameter of said second passage. 
   
   
     4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first adjusting unit arranged in a middle of said passage forming member and adjusting an amount of the cleaning liquid to be supplied to said absorber. 
   
   
     5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said first adjusting unit comprises: a second storing unit arranged approximately at the same level as said absorber and having flexibility that permits storing of said cleaning liquid; and a pressing member for pressing the second storing unit at a predetermined pressure. 
   
   
     6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a detecting unit for detecting an amount of the cleaning liquid stored in said second storing unit; and 
 a second adjusting unit arranged in a middle between said first storing unit and said second storing unit and adjusting the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied from said first storing unit to said second storing unit in accordance with a detection result of said detecting unit. 
 
   
   
     7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an ink tank constructed in a manner attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus and storing ink to be supplied to said recording head, wherein said first storing unit is arranged inside said ink tank. 
   
   
     8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising first adjusting means arranged in a middle of said passage forming member and adjusting an amount of the cleaning liquid to be supplied to said absorber. 
   
   
     9. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said first adjusting means comprises:
 a second storing unit arranged approximately at the same level as said absorber and having flexibility that permits storing of said cleaning liquid; and 
 a pressing member for pressing the second storing unit at a predetermined pressure. 
 
   
   
     10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 detecting means for detecting an amount of the cleaning liquid stored in said second storing unit; and second adjusting means arranged in a middle between said first storing unit and said second storing unit and adjusting the amount of the cleaning liquid supplied from said first storing unit to said second storing unit in accordance with a detection result of said detecting means. 
 
   
   
     11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a recording head having a nozzle surface provided with nozzles for ejecting ink; 
 an endless conveyance belt for circulating around in order to convey a recording medium to a position that opposes the nozzle surface of said recording head; 
 an absorber capable of coming into contact with said conveyance belt and absorbing cleaning liquid to be applied onto said conveyance belt; 
 a first storing unit for storing cleaning liquid to be supplied to said absorber; and 
 a passage forming member connected to said absorber and said first storing unit, forming a passage for supplying, to said absorber, cleaning liquid stored in said first storing unit, and having an air discharging hole for discharging, to the outside, air bubbles contained in said cleaning liquid, wherein said passage forming member comprises: 
 a first passage forming member connected to said first storing unit and forming a first passage in which the cleaning liquid stored in said first storing unit flows; and 
 a second passage forming member connected to the first passage forming member and said absorber, and forming a second passage for supplying, to said absorber, the cleaning liquid having flowed in from said first passage, and wherein said air discharging hole is formed in said second passage forming member, and said second passage forming member has an opening formed in a part thereof and an internal space that leads to the opening, wherein said absorber is retained so as to occupy a part of the internal space in a manner exposed through said opening, wherein said second passage forming member is connected to said first passage forming member on the opposite side of said opening. 
 
   
   
     12. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said air discharging hole is located more distant from a connection portion between said first passage forming member and said second passage forming member than said opening is. 
   
   
     13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a recording head having a nozzle surface provided with nozzles for ejecting ink; 
 an endless conveyance belt for circulating around in order to convey a recording medium to a position that opposes the nozzle surface of said recording head; 
 an absorber capable of coming into contact with said conveyance belt and absorbing cleaning liquid to be applied onto said conveyance belt; 
 a first storing unit for storing cleaning liquid to be supplied to said absorber; and 
 a passage forming member connected to said absorber and said first storing unit, forming a passage for supplying, to said absorber, cleaning liquid stored in said first storing unit, and having an air discharging hole for discharging, to the outside, air bubbles contained in said cleaning liquid, wherein the air discharging hole is positioned above a bottom portion of the absorber. 
 
   
   
     14. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said second passage is formed along said absorber and over a region larger than said opening.